With its outstanding views of downtown Cleveland and the Cuyahoga River, Sammy’s in the Flats maintained a presence at 1400 W. 10^th St. as the signature place in Cleveland for weddings, celebrations and other special events for more than three decades. Then in 2013, the iconic event hall closed it's doors.

Last Thursday, Oct. 27, the building came to life once again during the grand opening of Settler’s Point, a 34,000-square-foot loft-like office complex on the Flats East Bank.

Developer Joel Scheer bought the Sammy’s property, built in the late 1800s and early 1900s, out of receivership in December 2014 with an eye on restoring it and an admitted fascination with both the property and the area.

“That building - I’ve always been looking at that building ever since I was a little kid,” Scheer says. “It’s where Moses Cleaveland landed, it has fabulous views, and it has tremendous potential. It was kind of like a high profile place at the time for parties. People got married there.”

After buying the complex, Scheer spent much of 2015 working on a renovation plan with Dimit Architects and Vocon interior design architects before Welty Building Company began work on the project as the general contractor around Thanksgiving last year.

The renovation has transformed and modernized the space. “It doesn’t really look the same,” says Scheer, adding that the building had undergone many rounds of construction over the years. “There were layers and layers of previous renovations. We uncovered windows behind walls, floors upon floors. One floor was actually a roof.”

Scheer invested in new HVAC, electric and plumbing for the century-old building, and installed in new energy-efficient, yet historic, windows and a new roof. He left the exposed brick walls and wood beams. “We basically took it down to its shell,” he says of the renovations.

Decks and patios make up 5,529 square feet of Settler’s Point, each with views of the city and the river. The gem of the building, however is the 1,325-square-foot penthouse, available to all tenants. “Three sides are all glass with amazing views of the city,” says Scheer. The penthouse features meeting and event space, a kitchen and bathrooms.

Off of the penthouse is an 815-square-foot deck made of ipe, a Brazilian maple hardwood known for its beauty and durability.

Welty Building and Environments for Business are already tenants of Settler’s Point. “There’s room for more,” quips Scheer. There’s about 15,000 square feet still available for leasing.

About 75 people attended the grand opening last week, including representatives from the Cleveland’s economic development department, members of the architecture team, real estate brokers and other partners. The Gatherings Kitchen in Lakewood and other local food vendors provided catering for the event.

Scheer says those who have fond memories of special occasions at the former Sammy’s are impressed with the renovations. “People are excited to come in and look since I bought the building.”